About Billerbeck

Englewood's sister city is situated in the northwestern part of Germany in the province of North Rhione-Westphalia. It is approximately 30 kilometers west of the large university city of Muenster and about 50 kilometers east of the Holland Border. The area is known as the Muensterland and is largely agricultural with pork production a major agri-industry. The population of Billerbeck is 11,500.

History

The town of Billerbeck dates far back in history, to the 9th century A.D. It has survived numerous fires, wars and social calamities. Part of Napoleon's army stayed in Billerbeck during the French army's invasion of Russia. The old Johannis-Kirche (St. John's Church) was built in the early 1300s and is still used today. The new church, St. Ludgers, named after a 9th century Bishop of Muenster, was built between 1892 - 1898 in honor of the patron saint of the region, St. Ludger. Ludger is credited with performing many miracles and he was a personal friend of Emperor Charlemagne. Today, Catholics from all over Europe visit the large, new gothic Cathedral of St. Ludger in the center of Billerbeck. The soaring twin towers of the cathedral, along with the nearby spire of the Johannis-Kirche, form the visual symbol and logo of the town.